


The Child In the Poppies

by mistynebula



Series: Mistynebula's Continuation of HOO [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Continuation, F/M, Flashbacks, Happy Nico, M/M, Nico Feels, POV Nico di Angelo, POV Will Solace, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Protective Jason Grace, Protective Will Solace, Quests, Sneaking Out, nico's pain and suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23336968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistynebula/pseuds/mistynebula
Summary: Well it has been 5 years for us and only a few months for our heros. I dont know if anyone actually still cares, but here is chapter one of the sequel, as promised.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Will Solace, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo & Hazel Levesque, Nico di Angelo & Jason Grace, Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Mistynebula's Continuation of HOO [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/278271
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	1. Percy Goes Hiking in his Underwear

**Author's Note:**

> Well it has been 5 years for us and only a few months for our heros. I dont know if anyone actually still cares, but here is chapter one of the sequel, as promised.

**_SCCCCRRRRRR… SSSSSCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRR…_ **

The sound echos through the Hades cabin, like scratching outside. Nico blinks his eyes open blearily, tiredly reaching for his sword. He sits up, and slips his aviator jacket on over his skull jammies (a gift from Jason). 

Annoyed, he shuffles outside to investigate the sound of the scratching. Only half awake, he drags his sword outside and down the two steps onto the snow. It is the dead of night, black and dark except for the moonlight reflecting off the cabins, and the blinking of christmas lights. 

**_SSSSCCCCCCCRRRRR…._ **

“Uugggh,” Nico groans, turning the corner of the jet black cabin. 

Shiny, big, brown eyes turn to meet Nico’s half closed lids. Its chest muscles are firm and soft, and its teeny tail smacks at a fly on its rear. From its giant brown head sprout two long curved horns, decorated with springtime flowers. 

“Cerus?” Nico asks, sheathing his sword. 

The bull snorts in recognition, and lumbers over to Nico. In legend, the bull was wild and aggressive, trampling villages and terrifying mortals. He was tromping over Persephone’s flowers one day when she came and calmed him with her presence, becoming instant friends. In the spring, he joins her on earth, and in the winter when she returns to the underworld, he returns to the sky as the Taurus constellation. But it being early December, Nico is confused to find him in the flesh. 

Nico reaches on his tip-toes to pat his head, searching around for his step-mother or just someone who would’ve let him into camp. 

“What’s going on?” he asks the bull, scratching his ear. 

He snorts again, tilting his head towards the border of camp. Nico glances nervously across the cabin grounds to Cabin 7. 

“Uhh… This is a bit short notice,” he explains.

Cerus is having none of it, and dips his head, scooping up Nico’s tiny body with his horns. 

“Hey!” 

Cerus rumbles low, letting Nico know this is not optional, before turning towards Thalia’s pine and down the hill. Thinking quickly, now wide awake, Nico searches for a way to let Will know he’s been kidnapped… Or whatever it is that's happening. He pulls off his silver skull ring from his finger, and throws it at the base of the pine tree, and Cerus takes off with a gallop. 

* * *

Cerus screeches to a halt, and Nico flies from his back and lands on the ground with a _thud_. Groaning and dusting himself off, he blinks to the sudden daylight. He spits out dirt and flower petals and sneezes. He’s landed in the middle of a forest, with sunbeams shining through the canopy. All around this feet, bright yellow poppy flowers sprout up between the sticks, looking out of place in the gloomy forest. 

“Nico?!” he hears Jason call. 

He looks up towards the sound and finds Jason and Percy standing around confused. Jason wears his Camp Jupiter tee and plaid striped pajama pants, but is missing his glasses. Percy wears a zip up hoodie with the logo for his high school swim team. From his neck hangs his camp necklace, with the newest bead: black, with a silver crown on it. Percy is also in his boxers. Nico blushes and looks away. 

“Well now I’m very confused.”

“Nice jammies,” Percy quips. 

“Nice underwear,” Nico retorts, sticking out his tongue. 

"Demigods," struggles a voice. Cerus paws at the ground nervously, and snorts loudly. The air becomes charged with energy, and a woman stumbles into view under the veil of a sunbeam. Her upper arms are adorned with golden cuffs, her feet bare, and long snow white gown twist with the yellow flowers. A woman the demigods are all too familiar with. Her hand clutches her abdomen. 

“Hera.” Percy scowls. 

Her knees wobble, and Nico and Jason rush forward to catch her. "Are you okay?" Nico asks. 

“Demigods,” she says again. Her voice lacks all of the usual scary power it usually holds, like someone turned her mic off. She sounds tired. Her form flickers, like she's on a bad connection. 

“What’s going on? Where are we?” Jason asks.

She sighs, “While your godly parents have made it clear that I am not to contact you-”

“Then why did you?” Percy asks, “Haven’t you done enough?”

She turns her dark brown eyes to him with a fierce look, but it lacks its usual _I-am-the-Queen-of-the-universe-and-i-_ will _-smite-you_ force. “I…. Need help. I have just given birth here. And while I was recovering, someone came and took the child right out of my arms. I was in no shape to defend us. She’s only hours old, and very important.” 

“Why should we care?” 

“Jackson, you will do well to remember respect. My true form is drained and I cannot remain here much longer. This instance of me is very weak. I need you three, the Big Three Sons, to find Kallstroemia at any cost.”

“Kalla- Kallstem... Mia it is,” Jason decides.

“If you would be so kind,” she says, gritting a tight smile, as the outline of her figure fades and flickers.

“Um, but Hecate said no more quests..” Jason offers shyly. 

“Listen,” she says, “As Queen of Olympus I’m _issuing_ a quest to retrieve the newest goddess and _I shall not have anymore back talk!”_

Nico furrows his brow in thought for a moment. “We’ll do it.”

“We will?” Jason asks. 

Nico nods, and Hera looks at him gratefully, before collapsing to her knees and vanishing into the light completely. 

Percy sighs in resignation, “You got anything to go on, Nico?” 

Nodding, he points the tip of his sword in the direction of a trail of bright yellow flowers. 

Percy steps ahead to lead the demigods, “She could’ve at least given me pants.”

* * *

Will scans his eyes across the dining pavilion, as per usual, looking for the familiar dark figure he’s come to love. Not finding him, he searches for Jason, Nico’s nanny of sorts. Not finding him, he sits down with his siblings and tries not to actually worry himself to death, or jump to any conclusions. 

_I’m sure they just both happened to sleep in on the same day. Together. No Nico wouldn't- or they're both dead… or Jason killed him in the middle of the night and is hiding his body in the woods right-_

“Campers,” Chiron's voice booms. The whispers of concern among the campers dies suddenly. Chiron’s face is wrinkled with stress, and beside him, Argus’s many eyes are all cast down. “As you no doubt have noticed, Percy, Nico, and Jason have vanished.” 

Will turns his head around. He hadn’t even noticed Percy was missing too. He catches Annabeth in his line of sight. Her jaw and fists are clenched tight, leaving her knuckles white. 

“Without any witnesses, and due to the… caliber of these campers, we must treat this as a kidnapping.” The pavilion explodes with chatter, and Chiron taps his hoof against the cement for silence. "And unfortunately… " Chiron hesitates, "due to Hecate's orders, we will not be able to issue a search mission or any quests."

"WHAT?!" Will and Annabeth yell in outrage, both standing at once. 

Chiron casts them a sympathetic look, "Hecate's orders."

The camp again bursts into chatter of outrage and concern. Will casts a scared look across the pavilion to meet Annabeth's worried eyes. 

* * *

Nico leads the way through the forest. It is pitch black out and they have no idea where they are, but Jason doesn't have his glasses, and Percy isn't exactly enthusiastic. He holds his sword out in front of him, following the trail of yellow flowers. 

"Who would be stupid enough to take a baby from Hera?" Jason wonders aloud, "Death wish, much?"

Nico shrugs and yawns, hoping they can find this baby and get back to camp before morning so he can get back to sleep. 

"And what are we supposed to do when we find her anyway?" Percy asks. 

"I guess return her to Mount Olympus."

"What if this whole thing is a trap. Again." 

"It probably is." 

"Guys," Nico whispers harshly, gesturing to the clearing. 

* * *

Will sits quietly between his siblings, his head on his knees and his arms wrapped around them. His head reeling about what might be happening to Nico. The rest of the campers are concerned, too, judging by the campfires low blue flames. The sky is dark and the stars twinkle over head. Nico, Percy, and Jason have been missing all day. Will and Annabeth tried to Iris message them, with no luck. Will looks down and twists the all too familiar skull ring around his pinky finger. A camper had found it at the base of Thalia's tree and made sure it made it to Will. Will knows Nico never takes it off, and having it handed to him only deepend the pit in his stomach. 

_No quests?_ Will thinks. _How can Chiron expect me to just sit here and do nothing?_

He looks up and catches Annabeth's eye, she looks right at him, serious and grave, and cuts her head toward the exit. Will looks around at his siblings who are all chatting with each other, and slips out of the amphitheater unnoticed. When he steps outside he turns around to find Annabeth behind him. 

"You want to sneak out," she whispers. 

Will crosses his arms, "Yeah? So do you."

"Of course I do." 

"And you have a plan."

Annabeth rolls her grey eyes, " _Of course I do."_

Will thinks about Piper and Hazel. With it being winter, Piper is at home with her dad, with no idea what has happened. Hazel is a year round at Camp Jupiter, and with no iris messages, there's no way to tell her about her brother. That leaves Will and Annabeth. 

"Let's hear it."

"It has to be Hera. It _has_ to be."

Will shakes his head, "I don't think so, I mean, she wouldn't pull this _again_ … " Will stops at the knowing look Annabeth casts at him. "Would she?" 

“Listen,” she sighs. “This is going to sound totally crazy and please don’t judge me but… I put a tracking device into Percy’s camp necklace.”  
  
“What?!” Will yells, causing campers passing by to turn their heads. 

Annabeth flaps her hands at him, shushing him, and looking over her shoulder. “After last time, I couldn’t bear it happening again! He was missing for _months_ , Will! Wouldn't you do the same thing?” She looks at him, pleading, tears forming in her grey eyes.

“Yeah,” Will nods. “Yeah I would, no doubt about it. I guess it's a good thing you did.” Annabeth exhales, relieved. “Well, where does it say they are?”

“Assuming they’re together,” Annabeth adds, pulling her bag off her shoulder, and her laptop out. She opens it and turns the screen to face Will. Her screen displays a map of the globe, and then zooms into the United States, and zooms in closer to a tiny blinking red dot in Arizona. In the bottom left is a heart monitor, reading 62 BPM, thudding away.  
  
 _Gods, she is thorough I’ll give her that._ _  
__  
_“How are we going to get out of camp without anyone noticing, and how are we going to get all the way to Arizona?” Will asks, his voice low and quiet while he looks around for other camp counselors or Chiron.  
  
She shuts her lap top and straightens her back, “Meet me behind Cabin 6 at exactly midnight.” 

Will nods, and sticks his hand out. She shakes it, determined, and turns back into the amphitheater. Will says a silent prayer that Nico is with Percy, and that they stay together. 


	2. Annabeth and Will Runaway Together

Will paces Cabin 7, twisting his yellow bracelet nervously. He glances at the alarm clock on his bedside table, it reads 11:48 at night. His bag sits open and empty on his bed. He slowly opens his dresser to not make any noise and wake his thirteen siblings, and pulls out a pair of clothes and throws them on the bed. He pulls his first aid kid out from under his bed and sets it down, flicking the latches and opening it up. One water bottle of nectar, three squares of ambrosia, a small squeeze bottle of hydrogen peroxide, bandages of all shapes and sizes, and needle and thread. Will nods his head and closes the kit, and shoves it and his clothes in the stachel. He grabs his wallet from on top of the nightstand and packs it, too. There's twenty five mortal dollars in it and three drachma, not that it matters with iris messages not working. Lastly, he slings his bow and arrow quiver over his shoulder. 

_What if we get caught? Hecate’s gonna be pissed. And Chiron? How are we going to get all the way to Arizona!?_

**“Relax, sunshine,”** Nico’s voice echoes in his head. **“You worry too much.”**

Will takes a calming slow breath and counts to ten. He puts on his coat and shoulders the bag with one hand and with the other turns the newest clay bead on his camp necklace. Black, with the crown of ghosts intricately painted. His first quest. With Nico. Their first kiss. His face feels hot at the memory, and he glances at the clock, and hurries out the door, closing it silently behind him. 

Will makes his way through the snow across the cabin grounds to the even numbered cabins, and ducks behind the grey walls of Cabin 6. Annabeth materializes in front of him, taking her Yankee cap off. 

Will jumps, pressing a hand to his jumping chest. "Jesus, Annabeth."

Annabeth puts a finger to her lips and places her cap on his shaggy blonde hair, and motions for him to follow her. She trudges quietly through the snow, and Will looks down at himself as he follows. He is invisible, but his footprints still show in the snow. She ducks behind Cabin 9, as a cleaning harpy passes in front of it, stops, looks directly though Will, and continues past. 

_That was too close,_ Will thinks, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. 

Annabeth takes off towards the Pegasus Stables, and Will follows behind. She pushes the wooden door open and a big black pegasus with its head tucked under its wing, sleepily opens one eye at her. 

"Will?" She whispers, looking around. 

Will reaches up and removes the baseball cap. "Right here," he says, and passes it back to her. 

Annabeth pockets the hat and turns to the winged horse, "Blackjack, Percy is in trouble." 

Blackjack jumps on his hind legs and spreads his wings, knocking over a metal bucket of horse feed. 

"SHHHHHHH," she says, rubbing the animal's nose. "Come on." 

She pulls a harness off the rack and slides it over Blackjack's face, and then leads him out the stable. Blackjacks wings flutter nervously. Will steps outside and checks all around for any sign of dryads or campers. Annabeth hops on Blackjacks back and Will follows, sitting behind her. 

"Um," he says, fumbling, before settling on placing his hands awkwardly on her shoulders. 

Annabeth rolls her eyes, "You're gonna have to hold on." 

She whips the harness and Blackjack takes off, straight up into the sky, and Will grabs a hold of her waist and shuts his eyes tight, suddenly remembering his fear of heights. Blackjack bursts through the protective dome over Camp Half-Blood into the clouds. The air is frigid, and Will hopes that wherever Nico is he has his coat. 

* * *

"Guys," Nico whispers harshly, gesturing to the clearing. 

Somewhere ahead he hears a twig snap and the group stops in their tracks. Percy instinctively pats his pocket for Riptide. No pants, no pockets. 

"Fuck," Percy curses. 

Across the clearing, a large creature with dark green scales scratches at the bark of a tree. It has two feet, and two wings, like that of a chicken. At the end of its long serpent neck is a snake's head, its tongue scooping up bugs from the tree. Its tail swishes back and forth, and a second head at the end of its tail locks eyes with them with a hiss, and yellow green poison drips from between its fangs. 

Nico raises his sword, and realizes he's the only one who has a weapon. The creatures head whips around with a roar, and the tail hocks a poison loogie at the three of them. Percy and Nico roll in opposite directions, and Jason takes to the sky straight up. The ground sizzles where the saliva landed, tree roots, grass, and dirt all melting away as if made of ice. 

"Don't let that stuff touch you," Jason says from somewhere above. 

"Thank you, Catherine Obvious," Nico mutters, climbing to his feet. With a grunt, Nico shoves his sword in the ground and splits it open, two ragged looking zombies begin to crawl their way out. 

Percy's eyebrows knit together. "What? Did you just say 'Catherine Obvious'?" Percy starts launching rocks and sticks at the monster. The zombies pull themselves from the ground and make their way toward the creature. 

Nico bends the shadows around him and comes out of another shadow across the clearing, a pile of acid landing where he once was. "Yeah?"

Jason swoops down into view with a huge branch in his hands and clobbers the creature on its head. It screeches in response and snaps at the air. It bats a zombie away and into a tree with its chicken foot, where its head pops off and rolls away. 

"It's _captain_ obvious," Jason laughs. 

Nico blushes red, "Whatever. You two distract it, I'll come up behind it," he says, disappearing into the shadows again. 

"Perfect," Percy agrees. "That's my specialty." Percy lunges a handful of pebbles at the monster's face, and it roars in protest. "Hey, Ugly! Over here!"

The monster bellows and lumbers toward Percy. Nico gulps as his heart jumps into his throat and he swings his sword blindly, landing a slice on the tail, but not severing it fully. The face of the monster screeches, and drops Percy's bloody sock from its mouth. It swings its tail and crashes into Nico's body, sending him flying, his face and hands scraped by the twigs and rocks on the forest floor. Nico groans and pulls himself to his feet. 

Jason scoops up Nico's sword and slashes once, severing the monster's head. The second zombie grabs its tail and bites down hard, finishing the slice that Nico started. The monster disintegrates into yellow sand and blows away in the wind. 

The three of them hunch over, catching their breath. Nico's eyes catch the trail of yellow flowers, and see it leads right to an old rotting trap door. Nico walks over to it and pushes the weeds and dirt off of it with the tip of his black converse. A familiar symbol glows turquoise at them in the darkness. 

Percy appears behind him, "No way. Absolutely not."

Jason comes up behind them, and passes Nico his sword. "What?" he asks. 

On the door, gleams a bright blue delta, the symbol of the Labyrinth. 

Δ

"It's the Labyrinth," Nico states. "But, I thought it was destroyed."

"It's a living thing," Percy says, "It must've regenerated. Either way there's a zero percent chance I'm going in there again."

Nico remembers how four years ago he entered the Labyrinth to trade Daedalus's soul for his late sisters. It was a very dark time in his life; he was confused, grieving, angry, lost, and being manipulated by members of the Underworld who thought him weak and simple. Nico's grip tightens on his sword and his knuckles turn white. Maybe this is his chance to relive this horrible time in his life and come out better from it. To heal. 

Nico stomps his foot through the wood, and it crumbles and gives way beneath him, giving them a view of mossy cobblestone steps receding into the darkness below. 

"We have to hurry," Nico says, trying to get the two on board. "Piper and Annabeth… They're probably worried about you two."

" _I_ know who's worried-" Jason starts with a grin, stopped short by the murderous look Nico shoots at him. 

Jason holds his hands up in surrender, and the three of them descend into the Labyrinth. 

* * *

Blackjack flies steadily, gliding between clouds. Annabeth lifts her arm up in front of her, where she wears a gold Apple Watch. She taps on the screen and opens the blue map that she showed Will earlier. The red dot flashes with Percy's heart rate. 

"Isn't technology like, really dangerous?" Will stammers, looking around for any flying monsters drawn to the signal. 

"Yeah," She replies, nonchalantly, "but so is separating me and Percy."

Suddenly, her whole watch screen flashes red, with two words across it in flashing white text: BLOOD LOSS. 

Annabeth gasps and tells Blackjack to fly faster, and they duck down below the cover of clouds, appearing over the city of Chicago. Will’s stomach does flips, and he can’t tell if it's from being a thousand feet in the air, or from worrying about Nico. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I've seen every episode of Victorious, why do you ask?


	3. They Go Back To School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi yinz. Hope ur enjoying quarantine. Heres another chapter <3

The labyrinth isn't _completely_ regenerated. Every few minutes the walls shake and pebbles and dirt rain from overhead. And everytime, the three of them come to a stop and raise their arms over their heads, thinking the whole tunnel will collapse. Being back here, with the dusty red walls and greek fire torch light, brings back unpleasant memories. Nico can't help but let them wash over him. 

**"My lord, please hear me," King Minos pleads. "You do not belong at Camp Half-Blood. Your company is with the dead."**

**Nico stands behind crumpled rocks and ruins inside the Labyrinth, trying to pull the shadows around him.**

**"The dead are only ones who respect you," the ghost continues.**

**Nico shakes his head. That's not true, he remembers the look on Percy's face, telling him he had failed to keep his sister alive. If Nico didn’t matter, why did Percy look so pained?**

**"Be quiet," Nico snaps. "I can't concentrate with you babbling away over there."**

**"My lord, I am only trying to help you access the darkest truth, so you can become one with the shadows."**

**Nico pauses, and even though he's been avoiding it for weeks, he dwells on his 'darkest truth'. He feels his body heat, and the world goes black, and he pops out of a shadow in the stockroom of a Chinese deli.**

Nico is shaken out of the memory, literally, by a particularly violent earthquake. The three of them brace themselves against the walls, close together. Too close. Nico can smell the beach, and old spice shampoo. His stomach turns and begs the universe to drop the crust of the earth right on top of his head. 

The shaking stops, and Jason sighs, "We're getting nowhere."

Percy nods, "Yeah, and I have school on Monday." Nico rolls his eyes. "We need a mortal who can see through the Mist to get through here. Which is broken or missing or whatever anyway. Or Ariadne's string."

Nico jumps up with an idea, "Maybe we don't!"

Nico kneels and presses his hands into the ancient sandstone, and closes his eyes in concentration. The cavern begins to shake, and Jason and Percy take a few nervous steps back. A few feet ahead, the ground opens like a mouth, and a blue shimmering figure floats out. It shimmers and solidifies, before the ghosts bare feet rest on the dust.

The ghost wears a dark Greek chiffon. Her arms are decorated with several golden cuffs, a necklace heavy with jewels rests against her collar bone, and she wears a ring on every finger and toe. Her hair is blonde and wavy, and very long, reaching past her thigh. On top of her head rests a crown, with many golden points fanning out to look like the sun. 

She curtsies, "You summoned me, Your Highness."

Nico stands, and clears his throat. "This is Princess Ariadne," he says to the demigods. “Well, her ghost anyway. Ariadne, this is Percy Jackson, and Jason Grace.”

"Nice to meet you," mutters Jason. 

"We've been sent-”

“-ordered,” Percy interjects.

“-by Hera to find and return Kallstroemia, and she's been hidden in the Labyrinth. Will you lead the way?" Nico asks. 

Ariadne nods and turns, drifting absentmindedly down the corridor. Nico follows, and Percy and Jason hesitantly tag along several feet behind, giving the two of them plenty of space. Nico grips his sword tightly, and scowls into the darkness. He can feel the judgement coming off the two of them. His powers over the dead and the Underworld don't make him many friends. The shadows cling to Nico, sensing his energy. 

_They want to leave this maze so bad,_ Nico thinks, _but they don't like the way I do it?_

**"The only reason we bothered saving you from that jar in the first place is because you were useful. But you're not anymore, you're completely useless."**

Nico shakes Melinoe's words from his memory. She borrowed Percy's voice and his face but it wasn't him. Percy wouldn't… His friends care about him. Will told him so outside his father's palace. His thoughts wander to the son of the sun god. The way sweat would drip off his nose at sparring practice. How his eyebrows would come together and he'd cross his arms in frustration when Nico used any Underworld magic. The giant smile he'd get when he'd see him every morning at breakfast. Nico fights a smile, and his heart skips in his chest. Then on instinct, he chides himself for thinking that way. 

**The year is 1934, and a young Nico bounces across the park, plastic sword in hand, toward his friend where he sits at the foot of the slide.**

**"Gavin!" Nico shouts, his hair falling in his face. "You wanna pway piwates?" Nico reaches Gavin's side, where he rests his head in his hands, pouting. "Whas wrong?"**

**Gavin sighs, "My uncle went to jail this morning."**

**"Is he a bad guy?"**

**Gavin nods, "Yeah. My mommy told me he was kissing boys instead of girls and that that's bad. So now he's in jail."**

**Nico frowns, "Oh, well-"**

**"Nico!" Nico's mother yells across the park, with his sister. Bianca's one hand is caught in his mother's grip, her other in her mouth. Nico runs over to her and she swoops him up into her arms. "I don't want you talking to that boy anymore."**

**"Why, mama?" Nico wines, looking over his mother's shoulder at his friend's crestfallen expression.**

**"I don't want you to catch it!"**

Nico sighs, coming back down here was a bad idea. 

* * *

Percy shuffles across the Labyrinth floor in his socks. It's strange to be here again, pleasantly nostalgic almost. This is where he and Annabeth had their first kiss, after all. 

He gets the feeling Nico is not having the same experience. Nico is feet ahead of them, his sword out, glinting in the low torch light. Percy and Jason struggle to keep up with the kid.The shadows in the corridor seem to bend towards him, like flowers to sunlight, and a fierce scowl is hard against his features. The back of his neck glistens with sweat. 

Percy feels slightly scared of him, especially when he's like this, and the nervous look in Jason's eyes tells him he's not alone. It seems almost comical to be afraid of the 5'2" boy in his skull pajamas. 

Percy thinks back to three years ago, how small and angry Nico was. How ignorant he was himself. About Annabeth, and their kiss. And then how he blew up and landed on-

Ogygia! Percy's heart races at the thought of Annabeth alone at camp with Calypso. 

_She's going to be so mad,_ he thinks, _if she finds out I lied about what happened. And how long I stayed there. And Leo!_

Leo was nauseating lately. Calypso's hand never left his, and Leo’s eyes never left her face. Percy is happy for them of course, but come on, barf. 

Ahead of him, the tunnel narrows, and the group is pressed shoulder to shoulder against the walls. Ariadne arrives at a staircase, and turns to them. 

"The Labyrinth is growing, spreading. It's regeneration is not yet complete, and it uses the mortal world to bridge these gaps," she says. "You must go above, and find the next entrance to the maze, where I will meet with thee again." 

She runs a jewelled finger across the cavern walls, and flickers like static TV, before disappearing. 

"Alright," Percy says, "Lead the way, Nico. Let's hope they have pants."

* * *

The sun is slowly rising behind them, and Will fights back yet another yawn. Blackjack whines, and his eyes drift closed as he flies before jumping back open. 

Annabeth sighs, "Go ahead and find a good place to land, buddy. We are no use if we can't keep our eyes open."

Blackjack snorts in agreement and gratitude, before soaring down towards a wooded area covered in snow. Annabeth's watch says they're somewhere in Ohio, which means they've traveled a decent distance for only one morning. They land at the base of a half frozen waterfall. Giant icicles hang ominously overhead, the smallest of them probably four feet long. Inches of snow cover the trees, and a slow chill blows through the area. A small baby blue sign is posted against a tree that reads: Please help keep Cuyahoga Valley National Park clean. Do not litter! 

They settle down under a large pine tree where only a small bit of snow has landed. Blackjack stretches his wings, and curls into a ball at the base of the tree, and is snoring in seconds. Annabeth leans her back against him, and fiddles with her watch. Will starts ripping low branches off of trees. Will realizes he is humming Hannah Montana songs when Annabeth raises an eyebrow at him. 

"Sorry," Will blushes, and tosses all the sticks and branches into a pile at Annabeth's feet. 

"No no no, it's fine," she says. "It's too quiet out here anyway."

Will nods. The park is closed for the winter, and any animals would be hibernating or have flown south. The only sound that drifts through the clearing is the soft flow of the waterfall and the wind blowing. 

" _Too_ too quiet," he says. "Makes me feel suspicious."

Will pulls a packet of greek fire matches from his bag and lights the campfire. He worries about Nico, and hopes he's somewhere warm. Will is stoking the fire with a stick, humming absent-mindedly, when a grizzly snort, like a bull about to charge, echoes through the silence. The demigods head snap up, and they draw their weapons. Annabeth pulls her celestial bronze dagger, and Will draws his bow. 

The bushes rumble, and a bronze bull the size of an elephant lumbers out, snorting steam. It has rubies for eyes and where it steps the snow melts and the grass underneath begins to steam. Will remembers a few years ago when two of these attacked Camp, and he remembers treating the severe burns of Clarisse and her cabin mates. Blackjack yawns, and grunts, like he's annoyed to be woken up, before jumping up into action. 

"Shit," Annabeth curses. "We can't fight this thing, it gets too hot."

Will slots an arrow into his bow, "We can from a distance. You take Blackjack, circle around and try to find a weak spot for me to shoot."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow, impressed at his quick thinking, and hops on Blackjacks back. The pegasus takes to the air and Will draws back his bowstring. The bull grunts and lowers its horns in preparation for change. Will shoots a few arrows at it, but they clink off its bronze skin and land in the snow. The bull runs ahead at full speed and Will has to roll into a bank of snow under a huge pine tree to avoid it. 

"Will!" Annabeth calls. "The neck!"

Will looks up and he sees what she means. When the bull crouches to charge, the hull reveals the bull's wires and circuits. Will pulls three arrows from his quiver and lines them up on the bow. The bull grunts and charges, and Will releases the arrows. All three strike a bullseye under its neck with a crunch. Will dodges the bull as it crashes into the pine tree, a foot of snow crashing onto its back. Its horns wedge into the bark and the bull struggles to break free. Smoke starts pouring out of its ears and nose and mouth. The bull shakes, and the snow around it melts, the lower branches of the tree even catch fire. 

"It's gonna blow!" Annabeth screams, and dives Blackjack down low enough where she can grab Will's wrist.

The bull explodes, and shards of bronze shrapnel fly through the air. One catches Blackjack in the wing and he whimpers and crashes into a snowbank. A small piece bangs Will in the back of the head and he lands at the edge of the waterfall. He hears Annabeth groan somewhere to his left, but she looks unharmed. 

Will hauls himself to his feet and rushes over to Blackjack. He has a huge gash across the muscle of his wing, and has lost a few feathers. Will pulls some bandages out of his stachel and starts to clean his wound. Annabeth appears next to them. She's okay, just breathless and has a shallow cut across her cheek. 

"Oh gods," she says, "Is he gonna be okay?"

Will nods, "Yeah he will be. But we should probably find a different way to travel."

Blackjack whimpers in agreement. 

Will pours a few drops of nectar onto the wound until it closes, "He'll only have strength to fly home. But he will need rest. We need sleep, too." 

Annabeth nods and runs her fingers through Blackjacks mane. "Don't worry, Blackjack, I'll bring him home."

* * *

Nico pushes the trap door open, shaking ancient dust in his face. He pulls himself out of the Labyrinth, before turning to help the other two out. They've surfaced in a small art room. Two foggy windows shine the light of morning through and illuminate the long angled desks and a dusty chalkboard. The floor is stained with all different color paints, and various unfinished works of art line the counters. Half finished clay sculptures and busts rest on a low bookshelf in the back of the room. 

"Art class," Jason says. 

Percy thinks. "Let's find the gym then. We'll borrow some clothes, and blend into the school day while we try to find the other entrance back into the Labyrinth."

They nod and head out the door. The art classroom is in the basement of the school, so they have to climb a flight of stairs before they enter the halls. The walls are lined with grey lockers and the only lights on are the exit signs. With a start, Nico realizes he hasn't been to school since Westover Hall. And he hasn't been to a regular normal school in probably seventy years. 

They wander through the halls, ducking into empty classrooms when they hear clicking heels to avoid teachers. They find the gym and Percy rejoices, and runs for the men's locker room. Percy finds a pair of jeans and some plain tennis shoes in his size. With his swim team hoodie he looks like a regular student. He has a bit of a five-o-clock shadow, but he can pass for a high schooler. 

Nico finds a set of gym clothes with the schools logo and name on it. A royal blue hoodie, and in big red letters it reads: NORTH HIGH MUSTANGS #TEARITUP. There's a red and white picture of a horse mid-gallop in the center. He changes and pulls his aviator jacket over the sweatshirt, and pulls on the matching sweatpants. He's bummed about abandoning his skull jamies, but Jason promises to find him another set. 

Jason finds a pair of grey sweatpants and decides to grab someone's coat too, just in case. Percy checks both his pockets, and pulls out his pen with a grin. 

"I feel so much better," Percy laughs. 

Jason checks his pockets too, and finds his magic coin. "Alright. Let's go."

They walk back into the halls and find the North High student body filing in. There's groups of boys rough housing and slamming into lockers. A group of girls roll their eyes at them as they pass. A few kids are grouped close together studying a textbook. Nico wonders, if the three of them had been regular mortal students, which group would they fall into? Would they all still be friends? 

"The best way to find the entrance is gonna be to split up," Percy says. 

Nico nods, "But we will need a signal if one of us finds it. Or if there is danger." 

Percy shoves his hands in his pockets, looking wistful. "We'll think of something," he says. 

The bell rings and the students quickly run inside classrooms, leaving the three demigods alone in the hall. 

A woman clears her throat behind them, and they all whisk around. She's an older woman with her grey hair pulled into a bun, and glasses on her nose connected to a decorative chain. She wears a pencil skirt and very pointy shoes, and clutches a clipboard in her hand. 

"Aren't you three supposed to be in first period?" She asks. 

"Uhh-" Jason stammers. 

She consults her clipboard, before pointing a wrinkly finger and a sharp nail down the hall. "Jason Grace, you're in room 314 for Algebra III."

Their jaws drop. 

"Perceus Jackson you're in AP English upstairs, off you go," she says, shooing them. 

The three of them exchange knowing looks. No one at this school should know their names. Not unless they're not from the mortal world. Percy pulls his pen out of his pocket and heads toward the staircase, giving them a look that Nico thinks means _be safe._

The woman glances down at her clioboard for a final time before she wraps her hand around Nico's arm and begins pulling him down the hall in the opposite direction, "You're with me, Di Angelo."

**Author's Note:**

> funny how Will is wishing that percy and nico are together.. awkward


End file.
